Talks With Pilots Set To Resume

February 11, 1986|By Tom Stieghorst, Business Writer

As negotiations between Eastern Airlines and its pilots` union resume today in Washington, the two sides remain at odds on a wide range of issues, according to a summary of the company`s contract offer prepared by the union.

Eastern`s proposal would change 20 of the 36 sections of the current contract with the Air Line Pilots Association and delete 84 of the 102 ``letters of agreement`` that supplement the contract. It would permanently cut base pay 20 to 33 percent, the summary says.

In addition, ``it contains work rules that would put us back to the 1940 era,`` according to the analysis, prepared for ALPA by Eastern Captain R. Dale Brown.

Eastern and the union have just 15 days left to reach agreement, before a 30- day cooling off-period expires. Then, Eastern could implement its current contract proposal, while pilots would be free to strike.

A copy of the summary, which was distributed to pilot bases last week, was obtained by the Fort Lauderdale News and Sun-Sentinel from union sources.

According to the report, Eastern`s proposal would trim pay by 20 percent for pilots flying the maximum of 85 hours and more than 33 percent for pilots who fly a minimum of 70 hours and 48 minutes.

For example, a DC-9 captain who now earns $9,339 a month would be paid $7,471 monthly for flying the maximum, and $6,226 for the minimum. First officers would see paychecks lowered from $6,133 to a maximum of $4,906 or minimum of $4,089.

Newly hired pilots would be paid at an even lower rate. This provision, to establish a so-called ``B scale`` for new hires, has been doggedly resisted by ALPA and was the primary issue in a 29-day pilots` strike at United Airlines last year.

Other parts of the proposal would alter the calculation of seniority, shorten most vacations, eliminate bonus pay for night, foreign and overseas flights, reduce travel expenses, give pilots less say in choosing flights, delete a $20 a month allowance for uniforms, trim sick leave to a maximum accruable 132 days from 190 days, and tighten furlough rules.

The offer would also prohibit strikes, work slowdowns, or picketing and would make it illegal for pilots to honor picket lines established by other unions.

Eastern spokesman Jerry Cosley said the summary is erroneous and distorted in some respects but is generally accurate about pay and the demand for a ``B scale.``

Many of the provisions, such as the ``B scale,`` are ``contract advantages already in the hands of our principal competitors,`` Cosley said.

``It`s one of those issue where Eastern didn`t invent it, but our people have got to work with us and give us something similar, or we go out there with one hand tied behind our back.``

Cosley said there is ``negotiating room`` in the proposal, presented on Dec. 5, but the union has instead focused on amending the current contract in recent talks.

However, union spokesman Hank Weber said Eastern has yet to modify the offer in response to 10 different proposals offered by pilots. The latest offer, made public last week, would grant wage concessions of $300 million over the next three years, pilots said.